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Best Dragon Medical alternatives in 2026

Our pick is Vero. See why clinicians switch from Dragon Medical, and how five other tools compare on price, free options and fit.

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Used by clinicians at Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Mass General, Mount Sinai, Stanford Medicine, and UCLA Health.

Our pick: Vero.

Best for clinicians who want the note drafted from the visit itself, on a phone, tablet or browser, with a free plan.

Try Vero free
  • 7-day trial with full access
  • 10 free actions every month
  • No credit card

Why clinicians switch from Dragon Medical to Vero

  • The note from the visit itself

    Record the visit, dictate, type or upload audio, and Vero drafts the note in your template. Dragon Medical One turns speech into text but doesn’t draft notes from a conversation.

  • On your phone

    Vero runs on the web, iPhone and Android. Dragon Medical One runs natively on Windows only.

  • Start today, on your own

    Sign up with no credit card, use every feature for 7 days, then keep a free plan. Dragon Medical One licenses are bought through Microsoft after an eligibility check.

The other alternatives.

  1. 2Dragon CopilotConsider it for Dragon Medical One users who want ambient notes too, from the same vendor
  2. 3SukiConsider it for health systems that want dictation and ambient notes inside Epic or MEDITECH
  3. 4NablaConsider it for clinicians who want dictation inside the EHR, or on a Mac
  4. 5HeidiConsider it for clinicians who want ambient notes with a free plan
  5. 6FreedConsider it for US independent clinics that want ambient notes, with dictation on Premier

Who Dragon Medical suits, and why clinicians compare.

Dragon Medical One suits clinicians in health organizations who dictate their notes, with voice commands and AutoText inside Epic, Oracle Cerner, MEDITECH and virtual desktops.

Dragon Medical vs Vero

  • Dictation only

    It turns speech into text but doesn’t draft notes from a conversation; Microsoft’s ambient product is Dragon Copilot.

  • Windows only

    It runs natively on Windows only; there is no native Mac app.

  • No published price

    Licenses are bought through Microsoft after an eligibility check.

Dragon Medical alternatives, one by one.

1. Vero

Our pick, for clinicians who want the note drafted from the visit itself, on a phone, tablet or browser, with a free plan.

Try Vero free
Who it’s for
Clinicians in 200+ specialties, from solo practice to clinics
Strengths
  • Notes in your own templates, cited clinical evidence, PDF forms filled from the visit, code suggestions and an AI chat in the note, all on every plan.
  • 60+ languages, up to three in one visit, on the web, iPhone and Android.
  • SOC 2 Type II certified. Live visit audio is never kept, and notes can delete themselves after 1 to 365 days.
  • ICD-10-CM, CPT and HCPCS code suggestions. HIPAA compliant.
With your EHR
Works alongside any EHR: copy the finished note in, or export it as a PDF or Word file.
Price
Pro US$89 a month, or US$69 a month billed yearly. Enterprise is quoted.
Free option
7-day trial with full access, then 10 free actions every month. No credit card.
Platforms
Web, iPhone and Android

2. Dragon Copilot

Consider it for Dragon Medical One users who want ambient notes too, from the same vendor.

Dragon Copilot vs Vero
Who it’s for
Health organizations licensing physicians, nurses and radiologists, in the US, Canada, the UK and parts of Europe
Strengths
  • Dictation and ambient notes in one product, with a path from Dragon Medical One.
  • Embedded in Epic, including Epic Rover for nurses, and partnered with MEDITECH.
  • Keeps data in the country it serves: Canadian data in Canada, US data in the US.
Limitations
  • No per-user price is published, and every user needs a license bought through Microsoft.
  • Nurses can use it in the US only, and radiology is in US preview.
Price
No per-user price published; it is licensed through Microsoft.
Free option
No free plan or trial is published.
Platforms
Web, iPhone, iPad and Android, a desktop app, and embedded in EHRs such as Epic

3. Suki

Consider it for health systems that want dictation and ambient notes inside Epic or MEDITECH.

Suki vs Vero
Who it’s for
Health systems and partner practices, in 100+ specialties and every care setting
Strengths
  • Integrates with Epic, Oracle Health, athenahealth and MEDITECH, writing structured data back.
  • Ambient notes and dictation, with ICD-10, HCC, CPT and E/M coding.
  • Its assistant answers clinical questions using UpToDate Expert AI.
Limitations
  • Sold through its sales team, with no public price or trial.
  • It hears 80 languages, several in one visit, but writes notes in English.
Price
No public price; it depends on organization size and use case.
Free option
No free plan or trial is published.
Platforms
iPhone, Android, web and a Chrome extension; dictation inside Epic and MEDITECH

4. Nabla

Consider it for clinicians who want dictation inside the EHR, or on a Mac.

Nabla vs Vero
Who it’s for
Health systems and their clinicians, in 55+ specialties
Strengths
  • Integrates with Epic and Oracle Cerner, and partners with NextGen, athenahealth and Greenway.
  • Ambient notes and dictation inside the EHR, with E/M and ICD-10 suggestions.
  • 35+ languages, including visits held in two.
Limitations
  • Sold mainly to health organizations, with no pricing page on its site.
  • Data for clients outside the US is stored in the EU, and notes are kept 14 days by default.
Price
No pricing page. Its help centre lists US$119 a month for an individual; groups are quoted.
Free option
30-day free trial for each user.
Platforms
Web, iPhone and Android, a Chrome extension, and a Mac dictation app

5. Heidi

Consider it for clinicians who want ambient notes with a free plan.

Heidi vs Vero
Who it’s for
Clinicians in 200+ specialties, from solo practice to health systems, worldwide
Strengths
  • A free plan with unlimited ambient documentation.
  • Answers clinical questions from the full text of journals such as NEJM and Cochrane, and its agents take on tasks before and after the visit.
  • Certified in Québec (as Heidi Santé Canada), with Canadian patient data hosted in Québec.
Limitations
  • The free plan includes only a trial of its agents, routines and dictation, and coding is for paid plans.
  • EHR integration is on its Teams plan, priced on request.
Price
Clinician US$110 a month billed yearly, or US$150 monthly; in Canada CA$100, or CA$130 monthly. Max seats cost more, and Teams is quoted.
Free option
A free plan with no time limit, and a 14-day trial of Clinician.
Platforms
Web, Windows and Mac, iPhone and Android, and a Chrome extension

6. Freed

Consider it for US independent clinics that want ambient notes, with dictation on Premier.

Freed vs Vero
Who it’s for
Individual clinicians and independent clinics in the US
Strengths
  • Cited answers from 50+ trusted sources, asked from inside the note.
  • One-click push into browser-based EHRs such as athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, Elation and SimplePractice, unlimited on Premier.
  • Learns your style from your edits, and suggests ICD-10 and CPT codes at the justified E/M level on Premier.
Limitations
  • Starter caps notes at 40 a month; coding and dictation are on Premier and Groups.
  • No free plan after its 7-day trial, except Core for students and trainees.
Price
Starter $39 and Core $79 a month; Premier $104 a month billed yearly, or $119 monthly. Groups are quoted.
Free option
7-day free trial, no credit card. Core is free for students, residents and trainees.
Platforms
Web, iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac, a Chrome extension and a Zoom app

Side by side, at a glance.

ToolWho it fitsFree optionPricePlatforms
Vero (our pick)Clinicians who want the note drafted from the visit itself, on a phone, tablet or browser, with a free plan7-day trial with full access, then 10 free actions every month. No credit card.Pro US$89 a month, or US$69 a month billed yearly. Enterprise is quoted.Web, iPhone and Android
Dragon CopilotDragon Medical One users who want ambient notes too, from the same vendorNo free plan or trial is published.No per-user price published; it is licensed through Microsoft.Web, iPhone, iPad and Android, a desktop app, and embedded in EHRs such as Epic
SukiHealth systems that want dictation and ambient notes inside Epic or MEDITECHNo free plan or trial is published.No public price; it depends on organization size and use case.iPhone, Android, web and a Chrome extension; dictation inside Epic and MEDITECH
NablaClinicians who want dictation inside the EHR, or on a Mac30-day free trial for each user.No pricing page. Its help centre lists US$119 a month for an individual; groups are quoted.Web, iPhone and Android, a Chrome extension, and a Mac dictation app
HeidiClinicians who want ambient notes with a free planA free plan with no time limit, and a 14-day trial of Clinician.Clinician US$110 a month billed yearly, or US$150 monthly; in Canada CA$100, or CA$130 monthly. Max seats cost more, and Teams is quoted.Web, Windows and Mac, iPhone and Android, and a Chrome extension
FreedUS independent clinics that want ambient notes, with dictation on Premier7-day free trial, no credit card. Core is free for students, residents and trainees.Starter $39 and Core $79 a month; Premier $104 a month billed yearly, or $119 monthly. Groups are quoted.Web, iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac, a Chrome extension and a Zoom app
Dragon Medical (for reference)Clinicians in health organizations who dictate their notesNo free plan or trial is published.No current price published; licenses are bought through Microsoft after an eligibility check.Windows, virtual desktops such as Citrix, and mobile EHR apps
Try Vero free
  • 7-day trial with full access
  • 10 free actions every month
  • No credit card

Frequently asked questions.

Is Dragon Medical One being replaced by Dragon Copilot?

Microsoft describes Dragon Copilot as bringing dictation and ambient notes into one product, with a path for Dragon Medical One customers to move to it. Dragon Medical One itself is dictation only.

What is the best Dragon Medical alternative?

Our pick is Vero, for clinicians who want the note drafted from the visit itself, on a phone, tablet or browser, with a free plan. Of the others, consider Dragon Copilot, for Dragon Medical One users who want ambient notes too, from the same vendor; Suki, for health systems that want dictation and ambient notes inside Epic or MEDITECH; Nabla, for clinicians who want dictation inside the EHR, or on a Mac; Heidi, for clinicians who want ambient notes with a free plan; and Freed, for US independent clinics that want ambient notes, with dictation on Premier.

Why do clinicians switch from Dragon Medical to Vero?

Record the visit, dictate, type or upload audio, and Vero drafts the note in your template. Dragon Medical One turns speech into text but doesn’t draft notes from a conversation. Vero runs on the web, iPhone and Android. Dragon Medical One runs natively on Windows only. Sign up with no credit card, use every feature for 7 days, then keep a free plan. Dragon Medical One licenses are bought through Microsoft after an eligibility check.

Is there a free alternative to Dragon Medical?

Vero keeps a free plan after its 7-day trial: 10 actions every month, with no credit card. Heidi has a free plan with unlimited ambient documentation. Dragon Copilot, Suki, Nabla and Freed publish no permanent free plan.

Can I bring my Dragon Medical templates to Vero?

You can rebuild them. Start a template blank, generate one with AI, create one from an existing note, or import one, and Vero learns from your edits, template by template. Keep copies of any Dragon Medical notes you need before your access ends.

Sources

Dragon Medical One

  • Microsoft, Dragon Medical One product page
  • Microsoft Learn, Dragon Medical One documentation
  • Microsoft Learn, using Dragon Medical One with a Mac
  • Microsoft Marketplace, Dragon Medical One per user (US)

Dragon Copilot

  • Microsoft, Dragon Copilot product page
  • Microsoft, Dragon Copilot licensing guidance
  • Microsoft Industry Blog, Dragon Copilot at HIMSS 2026 (March 5, 2026)
  • Microsoft, Epic partnership page
  • Microsoft, MEDITECH partnership page
  • Microsoft Learn, Dragon Copilot privacy white paper
  • Microsoft Learn, Dragon Copilot mobile installation

Suki

  • Suki, home page
  • Suki, clinicians page
  • Suki, solutions page
  • Suki, MDVIP partner page
  • Suki, download page
  • Suki, press release on standalone AI dictation
  • Suki, press release on its funding and agents (October 13, 2026)

Nabla

  • Nabla, home page
  • Nabla, EHR page
  • Nabla, dictation page
  • Nabla, press release on its new chief executive (July 21, 2026)
  • Nabla, press release on Nabla Dictation for Mac (July 28, 2026)
  • Nabla Help Center, individual subscriptions
  • Nabla, trust centre

Heidi

  • Heidi, pricing page (US, USD)
  • Heidi, pricing page (Canada, CAD)
  • Heidi Help Center, “Changing your Heidi subscription”
  • Heidi, “Heidi II is here” (October 20, 2026)
  • Heidi, Canadian compliance page
  • Heidi, coding page
  • Heidi, download page
  • Heidi, Chrome Web Store listing
  • Heidi, App Store listing (Canada)

Freed

  • Freed, home page
  • Freed, pricing page (with its Monthly and Annually switch)
  • Freed, features page
  • Freed Help Center, “EHR Push”
  • Freed Help Center, frequently asked questions
  • Freed, AI scribe release notes
  • Freed, App Store listing (US)

Vero

  • Vero, pricing page and plan questions
  • Vero, homepage and its published offer details (prices in USD)
  • Vero, homepage questions
  • Vero, privacy policy
  • Vero Help Center, “Evidence Collections”
  • Vero Help Center, “Billing & Codes”

Québec’s rules for AI scribes

  • Gouvernement du Québec, “Projets de transcription par intelligence artificielle” (certified tools, updated September 21, 2026)

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